


Small World

by prosfan



Category: Inspector Morse (TV), Lewis (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-03 02:17:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6592588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prosfan/pseuds/prosfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if James and Lewis had already met, years ago?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. James' POV

**Author's Note:**

> This was posted over on my ff.net account back in 2012.
> 
> Also, I was alerted to the fact that the geography of Oxford's hospitals means that this fic isn't technically possible, but I couldn't think of a way to fix it up and make it still work.

 

Young James Hathaway was annoyed. Hospital was no place for a 7 year old boy to spend his weekend. He stared at the ceiling glumly, wondering why the doctors wouldn't listen to him. After all, he'd only fallen out of a small tree and he didn't have concus..he didn't have a headache. He'd told them loads of times, but they were determined not to listen. He was tired as well, although he'd

never admit it. The cast on his ankle was itchy and some nurse had kept waking him up every hour through the night. How was he supposed to get better if they wouldn't let him sleep? Didn't they realise that if he was asleep he couldn't feel sick?

 

Scowling slightly, he turned on his side, towards the wall. Pulling the sheet up to his chin, he curled himself into a 'z' shape. With one hand clutching the covers and one hand balled into a fist next to his nose, James Hathaway fell asleep.

 

He awoke half an hour later to a voice, sounding angry.

"You can't see her sir, she's under sedation"

“I don't want to see _her_! I _want_ to see her father."

"Who are you? He might not want to see you."

Detective Chief Inspector Morse and Sergeant Lewis, Thames Valley CID."

 

Policemen! In a hospital. James' mind was working overtime, like most young boys, he was fascinated by the emergency services. He turned over again and observed. There was a white haired man engaged in a "loud discussion" with the ward receptionist. A younger man was leaning with his back to the woman behind the desk, surveying the children's ward with a degree of sadness. He looked towards James and the boy shrank back into the covers, only allowing his eyes and forehead to show, his left hand still curled around the top of the blanket.

 

The older man, James thought his name was Morse, turned to leave, having convinced the receptionist to let him see whoever it was that he wanted to see. The younger man in the duo, smiled at James and gave him a cheeky wink as his boss signalled to him to follow. James grinned back, squirming in the bed so that the policeman could see the smile, rather than just his eyes and a mop of blond hair.

 

He couldn't wait to tell his mum that he'd met a real proper policeman. He couldn't wait to tell Paul and the others either. It certainly made up for the broken ankle. He sat up, smiling, all thoughts of pain and nausea forgotten.

 

.

 

Twenty six years later, stood in the same ward, James Hathaway is the sergeant, standing idly by as a man of higher rank than him tries to gain access to the parents of a injured child. He smiles and huffs in amusement as Lewis waves at a child, sitting wide-eyed on a bed, in awe of the fact that two policemen have appeared on the ward.

 

Lewis winks at the little girl, a silly expression on his face and James Hathaway remembers. He looks towards the bed he now recalls inhabiting aged seven.

 

His grin gets bigger.

 


	2. Lewis' POV

Sergeant Lewis sighed. He always hated these cases. How people could hurt kids like that was beyond him. Morse seemed fairly sure that the father was responsible and he'd offered Lewis a quiet word of warning before they'd got in the car.

“I know how you feel Lewis, and you're fully justified to feel that way. But stay calm ok. You won't be helping the girl or her mother if you lose it. Right?”

He'd nodded, and Morse had looked at him a little while longer before nodding and patting him on the back.

 

They'd long since left that car and they were now heading towards the reception desk of the children's ward in the John Radcliff. Lewis risked a glance at his governor and saw the grim expression on the older man's face. He relaxed a little then, content in the knowledge that whatever happened, they'd get the bastard that did it. He'd seen that look on Morse before. The old bugger wouldn't give up.

 

Lewis was right too, Morse was quickly engaged in an argument with the receptionist.

"You can't see her sir, she's under sedation"

“I don't want to see _her_! I _want_ to see her father."

"Who are you? He might not want to see you." _Oh I'm sure he won't_ , Lewis thought grimly.

“Detective Chief Inspector Morse and Sergeant Lewis, Thames Valley CID." Robbie was fully aware that he couldn't really add to the situation so he turned to survey the ward. As always, he couldn't really help but think of Lyn and Ken and be thankful that they'd never really had cause to come here. Most of the kids were asleep, and he wondered what time it was. Turning his head, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. The bed closest to him was occupied, although you wouldn't know at first glance. The only thing giving the occupant away was the shock of blond hair and the bright blue eyes peeping out from the top of the blanket. That and the small hand curled around the blanket as if that would make him invisible. The lad couldn't be much older than Ken and Lewis wondered what he was in this place for. He didn't look ill, from what Lewis could see of him anyway, although there was a nasty bump on his forehead. _Probably fell off something. Ken's always doing that._

 

Morse had turned around now, having obviously won his battle with the receptionist. He beckoned to Lewis to follow and as he turned, Lewis saw that the little blond lad was still watching intently, not having moved so much as a finger. Remembering that kids tended to have an obsession with fire engines and police cars at that age, he took a moment to smile at the lad, adding a wink when the wary expression hadn't shifted. As he left, he just caught the massive grin on the boy's face as he wriggled out of the covers to watch the departing policemen.

 

“What are you grinning about Lewis?”

“Nothing sir.”

“You only get that look when you thinking about your kids or Mrs Lewis.”

“I don't.” Morse viewed him sceptically. Lewis looked pointedly back at him. “Didn't you see that little lad?....nah, I don't suppose you did.” the sergeant answered as he strode ahead, ready to do battle with the suspect that he had already decided he hated. Morse smiled at the retreating back. Of course he'd seen the boy. But since Lewis seemed to be doing a good job at cheering the lad up, and since he had no experience with kids, Morse had decided that Lewis was best suited to the job.

 

.

 

Twenty six years later, stood in the same ward, Robbie Lewis is the inspector, trying to gain access to the parent of an injured child. There's another young man standing in his old place, only this one isn't winking and thinking of his kids, but he looks happy. Lewis waves and winks at a little girl and he can almost hear the smile on James' face. He does hear the amused breath his sergeant lets out though. Hathaway is smiling now and he's looking towards the bed nearest him. A flash of memory stirs through Lewis' mind and he almost shakes his head in disbelief. It can't be...can it? There's no way that shy little boy in the hospital bed could have grown up to be...

 

He sneaks a look at his sergeant, who is now grinning widely, still looking at the bed.

 

 _Well bugger me,_ thinks Lewis. _It really is a small world._

 

 


End file.
